


All I Want For Christmas Is You

by Luna0603



Series: All I Want For Christmas Is You [1]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Cheesy, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Marriage Proposal, Married Life, Mileven, Mistletoe, mileven fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:40:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28309137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luna0603/pseuds/Luna0603
Summary: Three Christmases in various times of Mike and El's relationship. The first is Christmas 1985, the second is Christmas 1992, and the third is Christmas 1996. Lots of Mileven fluff.
Relationships: Eleven | Jane Hopper/Mike Wheeler
Series: All I Want For Christmas Is You [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2081739
Comments: 6
Kudos: 31





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Merry Christmas! This is a three-chapter project, each taking place over a different Christmas in Mike and El’s relationship. Each chapter takes place in the same universe and is a continuation of the previous chapter, just several years later. I hope you enjoy it. Please remember to leave me a review and let me know what you think!
> 
> This first chapter takes place in December 1985.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Stranger Things or any of its characters.

Mike Wheeler woke up on Christmas morning, and for the first time in his life, he hoped he would not see snow outside his window. The plan ever since Mrs. Byers had moved El and Will away from him was that Mike would visit them on Thanksgiving, and El and Will would visit Hawkins on Christmas. The first half of that had happened, no problem. Mike had ridden to Springfield, Illinois, with Nancy on Wednesday afternoon when school had let out, and they had stayed with the Byers family until Sunday afternoon. It had been perfect. Mike was able to experience his first Thanksgiving with El, and the trip was filled with four days of time with his best friend and girlfriend. Christmas was going to be even better because Mrs. Byers was letting El and Will stay for a whole week. That is, if she could safely get them there.

For the past several days, the weatherman had been calling for a nasty winter storm – the biggest since the blizzard of 1978 – and it was likely to hit overnight on Christmas Eve. Mike had tried to sound positive and reassuring when El had called to tell him that Mrs. Byers said if the snowstorm hit as scheduled, she and Will would not be able to visit. He had told her that they would figure something out. Mike had begged his mom to let El and Will come early, before the storm hit, but Karen said that it wouldn’t be fair to Mrs. Byers to ask for her kids to spend even less time with her over the holidays, and if the road conditions had not improved by the end of the week, Karen did not want El and Will to be stuck in Hawkins. Mike, however, didn’t think El and Will being stuck in Hawkins would be the worst thing in the world.

Finally, he swung his legs over the edge of his bed as he sat up. He stood and walked to his window slowly, praying to see grass outside – or even a small dusting if there must be snow.

“Please no snow, please no snow,” he muttered as he approached the window.

Mike took a deep breath and pulled back the curtains, and his stomach sank when he was blinded by a thick, bright, white blanket of snow covering the ground. He could not tell where the yard ended or where the sidewalks or street began. Nobody was outside, nobody had attempted shoveling yet. Not even a snowplow had been down to the end of the cul-de-sac yet. One thing was certain; nobody was getting in or out of Maple Street anytime soon.

“Damn it,” Mike muttered and let the curtain fall back into place.

He shuffled back over to his bed and flopped onto his back. He had no motivation to leave his room for breakfast or to open gifts. Mike knew that he would have to call El and confirm that they would not be seeing each other for Christmas after all.

Mike jolted as his doorknob started to rattle.

“Mikey! Wake up!” came Holly’s voice from the hallway, and Mike let out a frustrated sigh.

“I’ll be right there,” he called gloomily.

The rattling of his doorknob stopped, and Mike heard his little sister run down the hallway and then down the stairs. Truthfully, he would rather his family proceed with Christmas without him while he stayed holed up in his room for the day. He wasn’t going to be able to see El, and he would barely be able to talk to her. There was no way he could make it out to use Cerebro, and his dad would kill him if he spent too much time on a long-distance call. This Christmas was going to suck.

“Michael! Let’s go!” his mom’s impatient voice rang from the bottom of the stairs, and Mike groaned in annoyance.

“I’m coming!” he hollered.

Mike stood from his bed and dragged himself out of his room, down the hallway, and down the stairs. In the living room, he found his parents sitting on the couch and Nancy sitting in the armchair resting her head in her hand and looking just as disappointed as Mike felt. Of course, she would not get to see Jonathan for Christmas either. Holly was sitting on her knees in front of the Christmas tree, bouncing up and down from the excitement that she could hardly contain. 

“Nice of you to join us,” Ted said as his son sat on the floor and leaned his back against the armchair Nancy was in. “Holly has been ready for presents for a half hour.”

“You could’ve started without me,” Mike shrugged.

“We’re not having our family Christmas morning without the whole family,” Karen said with a pointed look, and Mike sighed.

“Well, let’s get started, then,” Mike said glumly.

Karen pursed her lips, choosing not to say anything, but Mike could see a softness in her eyes that told him she did feel sympathy for him since the storm hit. She knew how much he had been looking forward to El and Will coming.

“Okay, Holly,” Ted nodded.

Needing no further instruction, Holly lurched toward the piles of presents under the tree. She had been firmly directed to check the nametags on each present and only open her own. Holly tossed aside the gifts that were not addressed to her, and she began to tear into the wrapping paper of her own gifts. Karen knelt next to her youngest daughter and began passing out the gifts to the rest of the family.

Mike opened his presents, but he felt like he was simply going through the motions. His mind was on El. They were supposed to see each other later this afternoon, and they were supposed to spend a whole week together. They were going to exchange Christmas gifts; Mike was so excited to give her the stack of Wonder Woman comics he had gathered and the framed photo of the two of them that had been taken just a month prior at Thanksgiving. They were going to watch Christmas movies, hang out with the whole party, and spend plenty of time snuggled together with hot chocolate and fuzzy blankets. Now, they would be staying separated. 

“Show what you got, Mike,” Karen said, pulling him out of his gloomy thoughts.

Mike looked down at the pile of clothes, Atari games, movies, and records, and he shrugged.

“You already know what I got,” he mumbled as he pushed himself up off the floor. “Let me know when it’s time to eat.”

As Mike left the living room, Karen’s mouth dropped open in shock, and she was about to call him back to spend more time with the family, but then Nancy stopped her.

“Mom, he hasn’t seen his girlfriend in a month, and their plans are ruined. Just let him go,” Nancy said.

Mike heard the brief exchange and felt a sense of gratitude for Nancy. He opened the door to the basement and went downstairs to flop onto the couch. Every other day of the year, Mike would be looking forward to talking to El, hearing her voice. But now, today he was dreading hearing the sadness as they talked about not being able to spend Christmas together. For the first time, he was dreading calling his girlfriend.

In Springfield, Illinois, El woke up excited. Her excitement wasn’t necessarily for Christmas; sure, she liked presents just fine, but since she hadn’t grown up experiencing the magic of Christmas every year, she didn’t feel the same joy from the holiday that her friends did. El’s excitement was because she knew she would be seeing Mike later in the day and staying with him for a whole week. Well, as long as the weather cooperated.

El jumped out of her bed and hurried over to her window, pulled back the curtain, and frowned at the blanket of snow that covered the yard. She ran to her bedroom door and sprinted to the living room, ignoring the “good morning” from Joyce as she passed the kitchen. El opened the front door and looked outside. The front yard was covered in snow, and Joyce’s car was buried, but the snow plow had been down their street, and El saw cars slowly traveling by. Surely, that meant they could leave the house as long as they were careful.

“Honey, close the door. It’s freezing outside,” Joyce said as she entered the living room.

“What time are we leaving for Hawkins?” El asked as she quickly turned to face Joyce, ignoring the woman’s request.

Joyce crossed the living room with a sad expression on her face and closed the front door that she and El were now standing in front of.

“El, sweetie, I’m sorry, but we won’t be going to Hawkins,” Joyce replied gently.

“Why not?” El asked, furrowing her brow.

“We’ve known this was a strong possibility, honey, and the storm they were expecting did hit us,” Joyce explained.

“But they’re clearing the roads,” El protested. “We can drive slower and be careful.”

“El, it’s nearly a five-hour drive in normal weather,” Joyce said. “It would take us all day to make it there-”

“Then let’s leave now,” El insisted.

“I’m sorry, El, I really am,” Joyce said. “I know how much you were looking forward to visiting Hawkins, but it just isn’t going to happen this time.”

El clenched her fists at her side as the fury from the realization sank in that she would not be seeing Mike for Christmas.

“Weather can really ruin plans, but I promise you can visit Hawkins soon,” Joyce assured her.

Soon. That stupid word again. Hopper had told her she could see Mike “soon” for over three hundred days.

“When is soon?” El asked.

“I don’t know right now. I would have to talk to Karen about arranging for you to visit,” Joyce replied.

Soon was clearly just a word adults used to shut kids up and let them keep the hope that something would happen without actually giving a real idea of when. 

“I’m going to see him for Christmas,” El stated before striding past Joyce and down the hallway to Jonathan’s room.

El knocked firmly on Jonathan’s door, and she heard his sad voice call for her to come in. When she opened the door, she saw Jonathan sitting on his bed holding a wrapped gift in his hands.

“What is that?” she asked.

“It’s my gift for Nancy,” Jonathan replied sadly.

“I knew you were still planning to go,” El said in a sigh of relief. “I can be ready in twenty minutes.”

“El, we’re not going,” Jonathan said, setting the wrapped gift down on his bed beside him.

“But you want to see Nancy. I know you do,” El argued.

“Of course I do. More than anything,” Jonathan agreed. “But it’s not safe. The roads are too bad.”

“So drive carefully,” El insisted.

“It’s not that simple,” Jonathan shook his head. “Plus, the weatherman on the news showed Indiana got hit even harder than we did. We wouldn’t be able to make it. I’m sorry, El.”

El huffed and started briskly down the hallway to her own room. She heard the phone ring in the distance, and as she reached her bedroom, Joyce called down the hall that Mike was on the phone for her. El perked up and hurried down the hallway and into the kitchen.

“Mike?” she said into the receiver.

“Hey,” Mike’s strained voice came from the other end. “Merry Christmas, El.”

“Joyce said we can’t come to Hawkins because of the snow,” El said, hoping that somehow Mike would say something to make it not true. He always came up with a solution for everything.

“I know,” he sighed. “It sucks. I’ve never been so angry at the weather before.”

“So, it’s true?” El asked.

“Yeah, unfortunately,” Mike replied. “I’m sorry, El. I want to see you so badly.”

“I want to see you, too,” El said softly. She could feel the lump forming in her throat. “I really miss you.”

“I miss you, too,” Mike said. “I had so many things for us to do the week you would be staying here… Then this stupid snowstorm had to ruin everything.”

El’s throat was too tight to allow her to respond, and her vision blurred with tears. She wiped her eyes and tried not to sniffle into the phone, but she knew she couldn’t hide how upset she was from Mike. He always knew.

“El, it’s going to be okay,” Mike said softly. “We’ll see each other soon.”

“I hate that word,” El croaked. “No one knows when soon is.”

“I know Nancy will want to see Jonathan for Valentine’s Day,” Mike said quickly. “So whatever weekend they see each other for that, we can plan to see each other too. If Nancy goes to Jonathan, I’ll have her bring me, and if Jonathan comes here, we’ll have him bring you.”

“You think they would do that for us?” El asked, a glimmer of hope rising in her voice.

“Sure they would,” Mike replied. “I know it would only be a weekend instead of a whole week, but it’s better than nothing. Plus, I’m going to ask my mom if you can come here for the week that I’m out of school for spring break.”

“When is that?” El asked.

“The end of March,” Mike replied.

El nodded. Valentine’s Day was a month and a half away, and then spring break would be another month and a half after that. 

“Our Thanksgiving visit went so fast, and waiting for the next visit went so slow,” El said.

“I know,” Mike agreed. “But we’ll have something to look forward to. We can exchange our Christmas presents then, and we can still make the most of Valentine’s Day weekend. It’ll be worth it, El. I promise.”

“Okay,” El nodded. “I still wish I could be with you today.”

“Me too,” Mike said. “How about I call you again tonight?”

“I would like that,” El smiled.

“Good,” Mike smiled in return. “Try to have a Merry Christmas, and I’ll talk to you tonight. I… I love you.”

El blushed at the minor hesitation before Mike told her he loved her. Thanksgiving was the first time they were able to say it face-to-face, and Mike was still sort of bashful about saying it in person and on the phone. El thought it was cute.

“I love you, too,” she said.

They hung up, and El decided to try and make the best of her situation. She wouldn’t be seeing Mike, but she would get to talk to him twice today, and he had given her a more definitive timeframe of when they could next week each other. Valentine’s Day. There was a light at the end of the tunnel.

She walked into the living room where Joyce, Will, and Jonathan were all sitting, waiting for her so they could open presents. El sat next to Joyce on the couch.

“I’m sorry I was so upset,” El said quietly.

“You don’t have to be sorry about being upset, sweetie,” Joyce smiled. “I know how much you were looking forward to it.”

“Yeah,” El nodded. “But the weather is not your fault. I understand why we can’t go.”

“Thank you, sweetie,” Joyce smiled and placed a kiss on El’s head.

“It does suck. I was looking forward to seeing our friends,” Will said. “But we can still have a fun Christmas here, just the four of us.”

They took turns opening their presents, and Will set his and El’s presents for their Hawkins friends to the side. When they finished, they moved into the kitchen where they all helped Joyce make a nice Christmas lunch. Throughout the afternoon, El was still disappointed that their plans had to change, but being a part of this loving family helped her feel better about not being able to see Mike. She was thankful that Joyce was so patient with her, and even more thankful that Joyce and Jonathan both agreed to El and Mike’s Valentine’s Day weekend plan. El couldn’t wait to tell Mike tonight that they were officially confirmed to see each other for Valentine’s Day.

In Hawkins, Ted had instructed Mike to shovel the walkway, and by the time Mike finished, his arms were burning from moving the heavy snow. Lucas trudged through the snow and hung out with Mike downstairs for a few hours, playing their new Atari games. It did help to take Mike’s mind off of missing El and of how sad she had sounded that morning.

After dinner, Mike was back in the basement ready to call El. He hoped she was able to have a good day with the Byers family. When he called, Will answered the phone, and the two of them spent a few minutes catching up and talking about what they each got for Christmas. Then, Will handed the phone over to El.

“Hello?” she said.

“Hey,” Mike smiled into the phone at the sound of her voice. “How was the rest of your Christmas?”

“It was good,” El replied. “We opened presents and made lunch and just hung out.”

“That sounds relaxing. Better than shoveling piles of snow like my dad made me do,” Mike chuckled. “Did you get anything good?”

“Yeah. I got a new stereo and some new tapes. I got a couple sweaters and a curling iron,” El listed.

“That sounds cool,” Mike said. “Did you get everything you wanted?”

“Almost,” El shrugged. “I would’ve given it all back if I could’ve spent Christmas with you instead. That’s what I really wanted.”

Mike was speechless for a moment. Every now and then, El would say something like that, and Mike wasn’t sure if she didn’t realize the weight of some of the things she said or if she did realize it and was just comfortable enough to say things like that. Either way, it was always unexpected, and it always made Mike’s heart stop.

“Are you still there?” El asked.

“Yeah, I am,” Mike smiled. “I’m glad that you had a good Christmas.”

“So,” El said after they were both silent for a moment. “You said earlier you had made plans for us this week. What would we have been doing?”

“There are lots of Christmas movies I wanted to watch with you, for starters,” Mike replied.

“Like what?” El asked as she knelt down on the floor in front of the Byers’ movie collection.

“A Christmas Carol, It’s A Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street,” Mike listed.

“Hmm,” El hummed. “It looks like we have that last one.”

“You do?” Mike asked.

“Mhm,” El nodded as she pulled the Miracle on 34th Street tape off the shelf.

“Do you want to watch it?” Mike asked. “I mean, obviously we can’t stay on the phone for the whole movie, but we could start it together and watch a little bit of it together.”

“Yeah,” El nodded enthusiastically.

“Cool. Let me get mine ready,” Mike said.

While Mike was getting his tape ready to play, El went to her bedroom and changed into one of Mike’s sweaters that he had left with her when he visited for Thanksgiving. She also grabbed the blanket from her bed that she and Mike cuddled in together every day when he visited, and then she went back to situate herself on the couch.

“Are you ready?” she asked when she was curled up on the couch in his sweater and under their blanket.

“Yeah. Let’s start it,” Mike said.

They both started the movie, and they remained on the phone together for about another ten minutes before Mike said he needed to get off so his dad wouldn’t get too mad at him.

“I love talking to you, but I hate when we have to hang up,” El said.

“I know. So do I,” Mike agreed. “But I’ll call you in the morning, and you can tell me what you think of the movie.”

“Okay,” El nodded. “And thank you for making Christmas special tonight.”

“Merry Christmas, El,” Mike smiled. “I love you.”

“Merry Christmas, Mike,” El replied. “I love you, too.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This second chapter takes place in December of 1992. I hope you enjoy it, and please leave me a review to let me know what you think!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Stranger Things or any of its characters.

It was five days before Christmas when Mike made it home to Hawkins. Christmas break would last for the next three weeks, and it was Mike’s final year at Notre Dame. El had been so supportive of Mike going to the best school he possibly could, but Mike refused to leave the state, not wanting to be further from her than he had to be. So, Mike had applied to the best schools in Indiana, and he had decided on Notre Dame. 

El had not left for college. After Hopper returned home in 1986 from being imprisoned by the Russians, he and Joyce had homeschooled El throughout high school. Then, Hopper only agreed to let El attend classes at the community college in the town next to Hawkins. El had been furious that Hopper would not let her apply to colleges with Mike and her friends, but he insisted it was for her protection. Hopper would likely never be comfortable with letting El truly into the world. At least if she stayed in Hawkins and went to school nearby, he could protect her from anyone or anything that may threaten her safety.

So, Mike and El spent the last three years in a long-distance relationship. Mike attended the University of Notre Dame while El attended community college and worked part-time at Melvald’s where Joyce had returned to her job after moving back to Hawkins. Mike came back to Hawkins every year for Thanksgiving, Christmas, spring break, and summer, and they spoke on the phone almost daily. El had only visited him at Notre Dame twice because it was like pulling teeth to get Hopper to agree to let her leave town for a weekend, especially a few hours away. Mike and Hopper had certainly butted heads a few times over Hopper’s strict rules with El, especially since El was twenty-one now. But, in the end, Mike knew that Hopper was doing his best to protect her while he was still the main protector in her life.

When Mike arrived in Hawkins, he knew El was still at work, so he drove straight to Melvald’s to surprise her. The store was busier than usual with Christmas being right around the corner. After Starcourt, a mall had not been rebuilt in Hawkins, so the stores downtown had been able to recover. Mike walked inside and immediately caught sight of El. She was at the register scanning an older gentleman’s purchase, and Mike pretended to browse in a nearby aisle, watching her from the corner of his eye and waiting for her to finish with her customer.

“Mike?” came a familiar voice behind him.

“Hey!” Mike exclaimed when he turned to see Joyce standing with an armful of merchandise to return to the shelves.

“How are you, sweetheart?” Joyce asked, wrapping her free arm around him in a hug.

“I’m happy to be home,” Mike replied. “How are you, Mrs. Byers?”

“Mike, what have I told you-”

“I know, I know,” Mike sighed. “But you just don’t look like a Mrs. Hopper to me.”

“Then call me Joyce,” she laughed.

“I’ll try,” Mike smiled.

“Good. How long are you in town for?” Joyce asked.

“Three weeks,” Mike replied.

“Great. Will won’t actually be here until Christmas Day,” Joyce explained. “He and Rachel are going to her family’s house for a few days and then coming here for a week.”

Mike nodded along as Joyce repeated Will and Will’s girlfriend Rachel’s plans for Christmas. He was watching over Joyce’s shoulder as El finished with her customer.

“I’m sure I’ll see him when he gets home,” Mike said quickly, his eyes locked on El who was not busy at the moment. “It was nice seeing you.”

“Oh, go kiss your girlfriend,” Joyce chuckled, looking to where Mike’s eyes were fixed.

Mike grinned and blushed but walked past Joyce and hurried to the register where El was changing the receipt paper and not watching as he approached.

“Merry Christmas, beautiful,” Mike said when he reached her.

“Mike!” El squealed when she spun around to face him.

El hurried from behind the register and jumped into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck. Mike laughed and planted a kiss against her temple. When El pulled back slightly, she connected her lips with his for the first time in a month.

“I’m so happy you’re here. I missed you,” she said.

“I missed you, too,” Mike replied. “When do you get off?”

“In two more hours,” El said as she stepped back from their embrace.

“Cool. I’ll pick you up after your shift,” Mike said, and El nodded.

He gave her another quick peck on the lips before leaving so she could finish her shift.

When Mike picked El up from work that evening, they went to get burgers, fries, and Cokes to-go from Benny’s, and they went to the quarry to eat and talk in private. As they caught up, El hung on every word that Mike said as he talked about his final exams of the semester and the classes he was enrolled in next semester, which would be his final semester at Notre Dame. Mike listened as El talked about her job and how, even though she loves Hopper and Joyce, she wishes she could have more independence instead of working with Joyce and attending school nearby where Hopper could keep tabs on her.

“They mean well, and they’re just trying to keep you safe, even if it seems like they go overboard,” Mike reminded her.

“I know,” El sighed.

“Trust me, I wish you could come visit me at school some weekends, but I really appreciate how seriously Hopper takes protecting you,” Mike said. “As long as it’s his job, he’s going to do everything in his power to keep you safe.”

“When would it stop being his job?” El asked, furrowing her brow.

“Well, you know,” Mike shrugged. “Someday the day will come when you aren’t living with him anymore, and then it would be someone else’s job to keep you safe.”

“Are you just talking about yourself?” El asked, the corners of her lips tugging into a smile.

“Maybe,” Mike shrugged and blushed. “Don’t you think I could do as good of a job as Hopper? I might even let you out of the house every once in a while.”

El laughed because she knew Mike was teasing. Hopper had loosened up significantly over the years, and he respected that El was an adult. El was free to come and go from the house and spend time with her friends when they were in town. The only things that Hopper was strict about were El staying in town other than going one town over for her classes at the community college, working at Melvald’s where Joyce would be nearby if El needed anything, and never using her powers in public. Frankly, ever since El’s powers had returned in 1986, she rarely used them anyway, so that last rule was hardly necessary.

“Well, if I was living with you, maybe I wouldn’t want to leave the house anyway,” El said playfully.

“Oh really? Why is that?” Mike grinned.

“I don’t know,” El shrugged. “Maybe because I would have everything I need in that house with me.”

Mike pulled El closer to him and pressed his lips against hers. Soon, she was straddling him in the drivers seat, and they spent the rest of the evening wrapped up in each other until returning to the Hopper/Byers house well after midnight.

The next five days passed in a bustling blur. Mike and El were able to spend nearly every minute together, but their time was pretty well divided between Mike’s parents’ house and El’s house. They helped Hopper wrap his gifts for Joyce, they went on grocery runs for Karen, they delivered last-minute Christmas cards to the post office for Joyce, and they did any other little task that was asked of them. Somehow, they worked in time to see Lucas, Max, and Dustin as well. 

When Christmas Day finally arrived, Mike and El woke up in Mike’s bed at his parents’ house. During the still of the morning, it was just the two of them without the hustle and bustle of holiday preparations that they knew would be coming later in the morning as Karen prepared to host everyone. 

“Good morning, beautiful,” Mike murmured against El’s hair.

“Merry Christmas,” El smiled up at him.

Mike held her tighter and pulled the blankets closer around them, nestling them into their little cocoon.

“Let’s skip the party and just stay here all day,” he said, and he felt El giggle against him.

“Mike, all of our friends and family are coming over in a little bit,” she reminded him.

“I know,” Mike sighed, and his grip on her loosened. “I just really like these little moments we get to spend together. You know, when my mom isn’t sending us all over town on last-minute errands.”

“Me too,” El smiled and leaned up to kiss him softly.

They reluctantly got out of bed and got ready for the day. When they went downstairs, they found Ted, Nancy, and Jonathan already seated at the table while Karen was bringing over the breakfast she had made.

“Good morning,” Mike greeted as he sat next to his older sister.

“Morning,” Nancy replied. “Are you going over to Joyce and Hop’s tonight?”

“Yeah, after everything is finished here,” Mike nodded.

Karen agreed to host the entire party for Christmas afternoon. Then afterward, Nancy and Jonathan as well as Mike and El would be spending the evening with Joyce, Hopper, Will, and Rachel for their family Christmas.

“Where is Holly?” Karen asked as she placed the pan of hashbrowns on the table next to the scrambled eggs and bacon.

“Must not be up yet,” Ted shrugged, flipping the page in his newspaper.

“She was always the early riser on Christmas,” Karen sighed at the fact that her youngest baby was growing up. “I’ll go get her.”

Karen went upstairs and returned moments later with a sleepy Holly behind her. When everyone had finished their breakfast, the seven of them moved into the living room for their family Christmas morning gift exchange. Holly received several gifts from her parents, and Mike and Nancy received only cash since they were older and out of the house. Mike took the opportunity to give his gift to El, and when she opened it to see a photo album of their many years together, her eyes instantly brimmed with tears.

“I love it,” she whispered as she flipped through the pages.

Inside the photo album were pictures of Mike and El at Hawkins High School dances that Hopper had let El attend with him, high school graduation, birthdays, previous Christmases, anniversaries, and random moments that were caught on camera. There were a few blank pages left at the end of the book.

“There’s room for you to continue it,” Mike said when El reached the end.

“We can take a picture today to put in here. I’ll make sure to get a picture of us when you graduate college in the spring,” El thought aloud.

“Yeah and, who knows, maybe something picture-worthy will happen before that,” Mike said casually.

“Maybe,” El smiled and closed the album. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Mike said and leaned in to kiss her. “Merry Christmas.”

Around noon, everyone else started arriving. Joyce, Hopper, Will, and Rachel showed up first. Max and Lucas came next, and finally Dustin and his girlfriend Laura arrived.

“Merry Christmas!” Hopper’s booming voice exclaimed as he wrapped his arm around El’s shoulder.

“Merry Christmas,” El beamed in response.

“How was Christmas morning at the Wheeler household?” Hopper asked.

“It was great,” El smiled. “Let me show you what Mike gave me.”

Hopper glanced at Mike when El turned her back, and Mike subtly shook his head. Hopper nodded in response.

“He put together a photo album of pretty much everything from our relationship,” El said, opening the photo album.

“That’s really nice, honey,” Hopper said. “Thoughtful gift, Wheeler.”

“Thanks, Chief,” Mike nodded.

“El!” came the squeal of Max’s voice, and El hurried over to greet her best friend.

“So,” Hopper said, stepping closer to Mike so no one else could hear. “That photo album isn’t the only gift you have for her today, is it?”

“No, I… I have the other thing, too,” Mike replied, patting the pocket of his jeans.

“Good,” Hopper nodded, and his eyes became misty as he stared over at El who was talking with Max. “You know she’s the light of my life.”

“That’s probably the only thing you and I have in common,” Mike chuckled.

“Well, it’s the most important thing,” Hopper said.

Hopper placed a hand on Mike’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze before walking by him to rejoin Joyce who was talking with Karen and Nancy.

The afternoon was spent with everyone reuniting and catching up. When Karen served lunch, the dining room and living room were both filled as everyone ate and talked. When lunch was over, Mike started to feel chills down his spine as he knew the time was coming for the plan that he and Jonathan had discussed previously. It was a simple, cheesy plan, but Mike thought it would suit its purpose.

Jonathan caught Mike’s eye, and Mike subtly nodded to him from across the room. Then Jonathan discretely slipped out of the room and retrieved the mistletoe from his coat pocket. He made sure everyone was occupied before hastily hanging the mistletoe in the doorway to the living room. When it was in place, Jonathan returned to Nancy’s side – who was none the wiser as she continued chatting with Joyce – and gave Mike a nod from across the room.

“Did you see the photo album Mike made for El?” Max was asking Lucas, and Lucas shook his head. “You should look at it and take notes. I’d like cute shit like that every now and then, too, you know.”

“I do cute shit for you,” Lucas said defensively.

“Okay,” Max chuckled. “El, let me see the photo album so I can show him what I mean.”

El grabbed the book from the end table where it was sitting and let Max flip through it with Lucas. She looked up at Mike who seemed to be distracted, looking over toward where Nancy, Jonathan, Joyce, and Hopper were talking.

“Are you okay?” El asked him, squeezing his hand.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Mike smiled down at her.

The truth was, he was trying to think of a way to naturally get her over to the doorway.

“I’m going to go get a drink. Do you want anything?” El asked.

“No thanks, babe,” Mike replied, and then El walked away from him and into the kitchen.

Mike took this opportunity to move over next to Jonathan who was standing in the doorway of the living room talking with the others.

“Is it time?” Jonathan muttered.

“Yeah,” Mike sighed. “It’s time.”

“Time for what?” Nancy asked, furrowing her brow. Jonathan did not answer her, but he did hurry over to where his camera bag was hanging underneath his coat, and he hurried back over holding his camera behind his back.

Mike looked over at Hopper who gave an approving nod. Then, El joined Mike’s side with a glass of wine.

“What are you all talking about over here?” El asked as she linked her arm through Mike’s.

“Not you, that’s for sure,” Hopper grinned.

“Hey, what’s that above you guys?” Jonathan asked, pointing up at the mistletoe he had hung.

Everyone who heard what Jonathan said looked upward to where he was pointing and saw the mistletoe hanging above Mike and El.

“You know what that means,” Lucas smirked.

“Ew, yeah, it means we get to see Mike and El make out,” Holly scoffed. “As if we haven’t all seen that enough over the years.”

“Holly Marie,” Karen scolded.

“That wasn’t there before,” El commented, ignoring everyone else as she stared up at the mistletoe that had appeared.

She looked at Mike and soon realized that everyone’s eyes were on the two of them. Most people looked just as confused as El felt, but she noticed that Jonathan, Hopper, and Will each had looks on their faces that she couldn’t quite place.

“Mike, what’s going on?” she asked.

“El, there’s something that I want to ask you,” Mike began, his heart thumping rapidly in his chest as his hands started to sweat. “I love you more than anything. You’re the most important thing to me in the entire world. You’re all I want for Christmas; you’re all I want for the rest of my life.”

“Oh my god,” El whispered as tears started to blur her vision.

“El Hopper,” Mike continued before kneeling down on his knee in front of her and opening the small box he had pulled from his pocket. “Will you marry me?”

The gasps of everyone else in the house fell into the background, and El began nodding profusely as the tears streamed down her cheeks.

“Yes!” she forced out.

Mike slipped the ring on her left ring finger, and El pulled him to his feet, meeting his lips with hers and peppering them with kiss after kiss. Around them, their friends and family were applauding, and many were joining El with tears of their own. Jonathan was taking pictures, as he had promised Mike that he would. He had captured the two of them standing underneath the mistletoe as Mike started his speech; he caught the moment that Mike knelt down on one knee; the moment Mike slid the ring onto her finger; and their first kiss as an engaged couple when El pulled him back to his feet.

“Oh my god. I can’t believe you did this,” El laughed as she wiped her tears. “Mike, this was perfect. The ring is gorgeous, all our friends and family are here, I… This just couldn’t have been any better.”

“Good,” Mike sighed. “I wanted it to be perfect for you.”

“Congratulations!” Max exclaimed as she and Lucas approached Mike and El.

Max wrapped El in a tight hug and gushed with her over how beautiful the ring was.

“Dude, how did you not tell me we were all coming here for a proposal today?” Lucas asked.

“I knew,” Will smiled smugly as he walked up with his girlfriend Rachel.

“I’m with Lucas. A little warning would’ve been great,” Dustin chimed in as he joined the rest of the party.

“Sorry guys. I just couldn’t tell too many people,” Mike said. “It was a hard secret to keep, though.”

“I mean, it’s not like we didn’t all see it coming sooner or later. I did call it, like, nine years ago,” Lucas chuckled. “But seriously, congratulations. I’m happy for you.”

“Thanks,” Mike smiled.

“Congratulations, El,” Lucas said when El turned to the guys after Max finished admiring her engagement ring.

“Thank you,” El beamed. She took turns hugging each Lucas, Dustin, and Will.

“Congratulations to you, too, Mike,” Dustin added and then turned his grin into a smirk. “Cheesy-ass speech, by the way.”

“I thought it was romantic,” Max said.

“That shit was chee-sy,” Dustin repeated.

“I loved it. It was beautiful,” El said, wrapping her arms around Mike’s waist.

“Well, I meant every word of it, cheesy or not,” Mike smiled.

“They’re going to make out. Someone take the damn mistletoe down,” Dustin said, but Mike and El both ignored him as the distance between their lips closed again.

They only pulled back when Hopper and Joyce stepped beside them and Hopper cleared his throat.

“Congratulations, kid,” Hopper said softly as he pulled El into a hug.

“Thank you,” El smiled softly against his chest.

“Take good care of her,” Hopper said to Mike as he gripped his hand in a firm handshake. “She’s marrying you, but she still means the world to me.”

“I will,” Mike nodded.

Mike pulled El into another hug and kissed her forehead.

“You know, I think this is the perfect thing to put in those empty pages of your photo album,” he said with a grin.

“Something tells me that was your plan all along,” El smiled up at him.

“Maybe,” Mike smirked. “Merry Christmas, El.”

“Merry Christmas, Mike,” El replied.

Karen and Ted came over to congratulate them next. The rest of the day was a whirlwind of congratulations and emotions for El, but she knew it instantly took the place of the best Christmas ever.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This third and final chapter takes place in December 1996. I hope you like it!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Stranger Things or any of its characters.

El Wheeler was putting the final touches on the gifts that she and Mike were taking to their family Christmases tomorrow. Their day was booked solid. They would wake up and head to Mike’s parents’ house for family Christmas morning, as they did every year. Then, they were all going to Mike’s aunt’s house at noon, something that was new this year. The extended Wheeler family decided to bring everyone together. After that, they were going to Joyce and Hopper’s house for the Hopper/Byers family Christmas, and finally, they were wrapping up the evening at Max and Lucas’s house with the party.

“When did Christmas become such a chore?” El had asked Mike the previous night when they were going over what time they needed to leave by to arrive at each place. “I feel like I’m going to spend more time worrying about getting from place to place than actually enjoying Christmas.”

El had done the Christmas shopping this year. Mike had just graduated with his Ph.D over the summer and had only been at his job for four months. He was constantly busy and was working incredibly long hours each week to make a good impression and provide for them the best he could. They were still living in the same apartment they started renting after Mike had graduated from Notre Dame with his undergrad a few years prior, but they had discussed starting to look for a house in the spring. El and Mike both worked, but Mike was taking it upon himself to cover the majority of what the down payment would be. El worried that he was overworking himself.

It was seven o’clock in the evening on Christmas Eve, and El was not surprised that Mike was not home from work yet. She wanted to have a nice evening with him, just the two of them, before their busy Christmas Day tomorrow. Since all the wrapping was finished, El went into their small kitchen and started cooking lasagna. She figured Mike should be home within an hour, so they could have dinner and maybe some wine before spending some quality time together that they hadn’t had much time for recently.

Forty-five minutes later, Mike walked into the apartment looking exhausted. He dropped his keys on the counter and nearly collapsed against El when she wrapped her arms around him to greet him with a hug.

“How was your day?” El asked.

“Long,” Mike sighed his typical response. “It smells good in here.”

“I’m making lasagna,” El said. “Why don’t you go change, and I’ll have dinner ready in about fifteen minutes.”

Mike nodded and walked down the hallway to do just that. When he returned to the kitchen, he walked up behind El and slid his arms around her waist from behind, lightly peppering the side of her neck with soft kisses.

“So what’s the occasion?” Mike asked.

El cooked every now and then, but with the hours he was working recently, he was used to fending for himself for dinner if he chose to eat anything.

“I thought we could spend a nice Christmas Eve together,” El replied, turning around in his arms to face him. “Some dinner, a little wine, maybe go to bed early tonight.”

Mike did not pick up on the suggestive tone and look in El’s eyes when she mentioned going to bed.

“An early night sounds great,” he sighed. “I’m exhausted.”

“Oh,” El said disappointed, but she quickly covered it up. “I bet so. You’ve been working so much lately.”

“I know. I’m sorry about that,” Mike said remorsefully. “I haven’t been home as much as I should, and you deserve better than that. I’ll try to make it better, El.”

“I didn’t mean anything by it, sweetie. I know it’s not your fault,” El said quickly. “I’m just worried that you’re exhausting yourself so much. You need to take care of yourself.”

“I have you to do that for me,” Mike chuckled and kissed the tip of El’s nose. “But I know what you’re saying. I’m fine. I promise.”

The lasagna was done, so El pulled it out of the oven, and the two of them sat down for dinner together. As they talked about their day and about how fun it will be to see everyone tomorrow, Mike drank two glasses of wine and seemed to relax and unwind since coming home. El was happy to see him less stressed, and she hoped that maybe their night could lead somewhere other than straight to sleep after all.

“Thanks for dinner, babe,” Mike said as he wrapped his arms around El’s waist from behind again as she rinsed the dishes in the sink.

“You’re welcome,” El smiled and turned to face him. “I also had something special in mind for dessert if you’re up for it.”

“I like the sound of that,” Mike grinned as he leaned in to kiss his wife.

El closed her eyes and melted into the feel of his kiss, the taste of the wine still on his lips, and the slight buzz that made her head spin.

They made their way hand-in-hand to their bedroom, and El straddled Mike on the edge of the bed. Her arms were wrapped around his neck, and when her hands reached between his shoulder blades, El could feel the knots beneath his skin.

“Baby, you’re so tense,” she said, a look of concern crossing her face as she instinctively started to knead below the back of his neck.

“I’m okay… but – oh shit – that feels amazing,” Mike admitted as the pleasure of El relieving some of the tension in his shoulders flooded his body.

“Let me make you feel better,” El said as she lifted Mike’s shirt over his head. “Lay down on your stomach.”

El stood from his lap so Mike could do as she said. He laid back and rolled onto his stomach, and then El crawled over to him. She straddled his hips and gently grazed her fingers up his bare back to the base of his neck.

She started applying pressure gently at first and firmer as she kneaded the tension that had built up in Mike’s back and shoulders. 

“You’re so good at this,” Mike mumbled against his pillow.

“Is it helping you feel better?” El asked, and Mike nodded.

El continued massaging him silently, letting him finally relax. When she bent down and kissed the back of his neck, she was surprised when he did not react. El trailed her gentle kisses down his shoulder, but Mike still did not respond to her touch. She pulled back and slid off of him so she could get a better look at his face, and El noticed Mike had fallen asleep.

She sighed as she pushed Mike’s hair back away from his eyes. He was sleeping peacefully and deeply, and even though El was slightly frustrated that he had fallen asleep on her, she couldn’t help but admire how handsome he was even in his sleep. And of course she could not be upset with him for falling asleep; she knew how worn out he was.

El leaned in to place a soft kiss on Mike’s lips, and then she crawled into bed next to him, pulled the covers over both of them, and soon fell into a deep sleep too.

The next morning, El woke up to Mike softly peppering her face with kisses. She smiled and opened her eyes to see his dark orbs looking back at her with an apology shining in them.

“Good morning,” El mumbled.

“Good morning. I’m sorry I fell asleep last night,” Mike said.

“It’s okay,” El smiled. “I take it as a compliment on my massage skills.”

“Absolutely,” Mike chuckled.

“Besides, you clearly needed a good night of sleep,” El added.

“Yeah, but I had my hot, tipsy wife on top of me. A good night of sleep could’ve waited one more night,” Mike said, and El laughed. “I’ll make it up to you tonight when we get back from Max and Lucas’s.”

“Mr. Wheeler, are you offering to give me sex for Christmas?” El teased.

“First of all, it’s Dr. Wheeler,” Mike quipped playfully. “And you know that’s not the only thing I have for you.”

He rolled onto his back and opened the drawer of his bedside table to pull out a wrapped box.

“Mike,” El said as she sat up to receive the gift.

“Open it,” Mike encouraged her.

El opened it to see a pair of diamond earrings resting in the velvet interior of the box. Her mouth dropped open as they shined up at her.

“They’re beautiful,” El said in awe.

“Merry Christmas,” Mike smiled.

“I’m wearing these today,” El said.

She leaned over to kiss Mike before hopping out of bed and sitting in front of her vanity mirror to change her earrings.

“I guess we should get ready for this long-ass day we have ahead of us,” Mike sighed as he flopped back against his pillows. “I just feel like I’m never going to catch up. I’m tired all the time. The one day off I have is still going to be busy as hell. It’s neverending.”

El looked back to see Mike laying on his back staring up at the ceiling, and she wished she could take away all the stress he was feeling. It was Christmas, and El was worried that Mike would not be able to enjoy himself with as busy as they were going to be.

When Mike got up and left the bedroom to take a shower, El thought to herself that it might be best for Mike if they just stayed home today. They could relax, spend the entire day together, and even pick back up where they left off before Mike fell asleep last night. It would be good for him, and it would be good for them.

Down the hall, Mike was taking longer than normal in the shower. He was letting the hot water hit his shoulders while he stood with his eyes closed. He didn’t know how much longer he could keep overexerting himself. Sure, all the overtime was nice on his paychecks, and it was getting him experience in the field and helping provide for El. He had promised Hopper that he would take good care of El, and he would do anything he could to keep that promise. But Mike knew that to really take good care of her, he needed to be there more often. It wasn’t just the financial aspect that was important. Mike loved her more than anything else in the world, and he knew that she knew how he felt about her, but he felt like he had not had the chance to really show her or prove it to her in a while. Falling asleep last night certainly did not help that issue. Mike knew he needed to give El the attention she deserved.

He stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. Mike opened the bathroom door to let the steam from his shower out, and he started getting out his shaving cream and razor.

“Mike?” he heard El call from down the hallway.

“Yeah?” Mike called in return.

“Can you come here, please?” El asked.

“Yeah, sure. What’s up?” Mike replied. He left his shaving cream and razor on the sink counter and started down the hallway.

“I have something for you,” came El’s reply.

Mike furrowed his brow. He knew he saw El’s gift for him wrapped up under the tree. What else could she have for him?

Mike pushed open the bedroom door to see El laying on top of the bed, wearing only a lacey red push-up bra, a matching thong, and the diamond earrings Mike had given her earlier. His mouth dropped open, and his eyes bulged in his head as his eyes raked over his wife.

“E-El? What-” Mike cut himself off, unable to form a sentence as he continued looking El up and down.

“Do you like it? I bought these to surprise you,” El grinned.

“Well, mission accomplished,” Mike breathed. “Holy shit, El, you’re so sexy.”

El’s smile brightened at his reaction. Her confidence boosted from the way Mike couldn’t take his eyes off her, and she could already feel herself becoming aroused.

“I thought maybe I could cash in your offer from this morning a little early instead of waiting until tonight,” El said. “If you want to, of course.”

“I definitely want to,” Mike said immediately. “But what about all the Christmases-”

“Already taken care of,” El smiled. “I called your mom, Joyce, and Max and said we couldn’t make it because you weren’t feeling well. If anyone asks, you were feverish and lightheaded.”

“Well, that’s not exactly a lie,” Mike chuckled. 

“You’ve been so stressed lately, and I don’t want Christmas to add to that. Let’s spend the whole day together – just you and me – in bed, on the couch, watching movies, whatever we feel like doing. How does that sound?” El asked.

“That sounds like the best Christmas ever,” Mike replied.

“Good,” El grinned, and then she looked suggestively down at the towel that was wrapped around Mike’s waist.

Mike followed her gaze and gave her a small smile as he stepped to the side of the bed.

“Why don’t you start by telling me exactly what you want,” Mike said, his hand toying with the edge of the towel that was hanging from his hips.

“You,” El said and bit her bottom lip as she reached out and loosened Mike’s towel so it dropped to the floor. “I want you.”

She pulled him on top of her and crashed his lips into her own, welcoming his tongue into her mouth as she wrapped her arms around his neck to hold him close.

When they pulled back briefly, El looked into Mike’s eyes and saw nothing but the love and devotion he had for her that had never once wavered over the last thirteen years. 

“Merry Christmas, Mike,” she murmured. “I love you.”

“Merry Christmas, El,” Mike whispered. “I love you, too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: That’s the end of this little Christmas saga. I hope you all enjoyed it. Leave me a review and let me know. I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and stay safe and healthy! Thank you so much for reading!


End file.
